vkladchik wrote: I said the power lines in Japan were a problem, and Harisenbon throws pictures of power lines in the US back at me. What's the connection?

You didn't say "power lines are a problem" you said "And the goddamn power lines!!! Argh!!" As if above ground power lines are something that is distasteful about Japan. I responded by showing that there are also large number of powerlines in the states. If you can't see that connection, there's really nothing else to be done.

vkladchik wrote:Maybe Harisenbon is battle-weary from defending Japan against ignorant JETs (which he has now done an about-face on),

Really? where was the about-face? I have nothing against JETs. Read my previous posts. Ignorance has nothing to do with it either. People who complain about things just because they're different annoy me.

vkladchik wrote:but all I said was that Japan ought to bury its power lines.

I'm sorry. I missed that post. Where was that?

vkladchik wrote: But to turn this into an international pissing contest is really, well, boring. We don't need to prove anything to each other, do we?

No pissing contest on this side. You made a statement, people disagreed. You got offended and haughty, telling me that I should "get out and see more of the country." To me, that sounds like you're the one starting the pissing contest.

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Honestly, I was worked up over this, but this has honestly gone into the realm of stupid, from which good conversation will never return.
Hopefully I won't get sucked back into this.

Yudan Taiteki wrote:Maybe on a vacation, but I would be surprised to hear that someone lived in Japan for any extended length of time and completely avoided using squat toilets.

6 years and have never used a squat toilet.
I can usually find a place that has a western toilet, or hold it long enough to find a place with a western toilet.

As for the high-speed internet comment, I was surprised when I went back to the states recently and they were advertising new, super-fast 50mb internet connections for $150 a month. I've had 50mb service for $30 for almost 5 years now, and am just now updating to optical cable. 100mb for $50 a month.

I love the internet backbone here. It makes me cry tears of joy.

Wow, high speed internet for $30-$50 a month! I almost pay $150+ for my internet. Why is it so cheap over there and is it cheaper to live in Japan Vs. living in America?

It used to be cheaper to live in Australia than Japan. I'm talking 10+years ago. Aussies living in Japan used to complain about the high prices of basic items there. However, things change and many things are now cheaper in Japan now. Tourists and students coming to Australia now complain about costs of things here.

paul120 with the zinger! calm down man!
Not to carry on the power lines thing (that got intense!) I've never been to Japan so I apologize, but being fond of Japan(from afar) for a really long time and from just seeing pictures of Japan, seeing movies, and how its generally portrayed in animations...I've never seen it anywhere as bad like that in the US. Ive been to NYC and other big cities outside of my state, I live in a rural area as well as a larger city, and living in Ohio you're fairly close to a lot of pretty large cities. Never really considered the power lines too crazy in any of these places. I guess it depends on what you'd consider an over abundance of power lines, or whats too much for you.However this image of mine of Japan as having crazy amounts of power lines going every which way(which of course could be completely apart of my imagination since I've never been there) I've always really liked and has been one of the most aesthetically pleasing pieces of imagery for me of Japan. Like Yudan said, it has a charm to it. Some may not think that.
Sorry I didn't mean to carry that on, haven't posted for awhile, just thought I'd put in my two sense.
About the toilets, I think it's great that they still have squat toilets, only because it makes me chuckle to think that it makes it seem they're "behind the times" to some people when the Japanese engineer some of the most advanced toilet systems in the world. And as to why no one mentioned the otohime! How unfair, I kinda wish men bathrooms would have them too, there are sounds other than that of urination when using the bathroom...

I didn't watch the vid, but based on what you said, yea that's about how it goes.

I live in Anjyo (population is not very high, so i don't mind if you've never heard of it)
No central heating so i have a heater and an electric rug thing. not to mention a heated table.
I have heated water so i don't need to preheat the tub, but since we all share, it has to be reheated (not refilled)
I used the "bucket" and all that jazz.
Standard.

The only thing I can say is that i live in chicago and most of our power lines and utility lines run in the alley. The only line present in the front of the neighborhood is the one for the light poles. I think maybe i am a little spoiled and maybe that's why its odd for me.

Harisenbon wrote:
To me, the things foreigners usually complain about in Japan (powerlines, toilets, showers, cleaning ears at work, people not saying what they mean) are not the problems with Japan that people should be worrying about.

I think it's rather pathetic, to compliain about those things it’s one of those things that makes little sense to complain about because it would be very hard to change.